Senate Oks A Stopgap Funding Bill

WASHINGTON — Acting with unusual speed, the Senate Wednesday took two minutes to approve a stopgap spending bill that would fund the government for 45 days after the fiscal year ends Sept. 30.

The measure, which already has been passed by the House, was necessary because Congress has not completed action on any of the 13 appropriations bills working their way through the legislative process.

The stopgap bill now goes to President Reagan, who is expected to sign it. There is no dollar figure attached to the bill, which allows agencies to continue drawing funds from the Treasury until the end of the 45-day period.

The Senate`s quick action by voice vote came at a time when few senators were present and headed off what could have been a long debate. Though the bill itself was not controversial, continuing spending resolutions

traditionally become targets for senators` pet amendments.

``People realized there would be other vehicles available to play games with,`` said a Senate leadership aide.

Among those vehicles will be legislation to raise the national debt ceiling to above $2 trillion and a second continuing spending resolution that will be needed if all the appropriations bills have not been passed by Congress and signed by the President.

The House has cleared nine appropriations measures, and the Senate has approved two; two more are scheduled for action this week.

But some of the major and controversial authorization bills, such as defense, are expected to end up in the second continuing spending resolution, which would come up just before Reagan leaves in November for the summit in Geneva.

Other spending bills, such as those for the Interior Department and transportation programs, also could become mired in battles over dollar amounts.

The White House has made periodic threats to veto bills that exceed spending targets set by a budget resolution approved over the summer by Congress. ``The veto pen is still there,`` said an administration official.

But a spokesman for the Office of Management and Budget said the White House was waiting to see the final dollar totals as the bills emerged from Congress.

Disputes between the House and Senate and between turf-conscious committees also could hold up the appropriations process.

Though Congress has expressed deep concern over the federal deficit and passed the budget resolution with reduced spending in mind, members still have difficulty actually cutting programs.

The Senate Budget Committee contends that most of the appropriations bills exceed budget targets, but the body`s Appropriations Committee argues that the spending measures taken together have to meet only the overall budget level.

Asked how many appropriations bills were over their targets, a Budget Committee staff member said, ``Every one of them.`` Asked the same question, an Appropriations Committee staff member said, ``None of them.``

An aide to Sen. Pete Domenici (R., N.M.), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, said the senator would try to amend the spending bills so they comply with the budget resolution.

That could result in a messy floor fight among Domenici, Sen. Mark Hatfield (R., Ore.), chairman of the Appropriations Committee, and other appropriators, who believe the Budget Committee has encroached on their territory in recent years.